


Sometimes a Pompous Ass

by roxashighwind



Series: Alphabet Mini Fics [6]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, altern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 16:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11317029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxashighwind/pseuds/roxashighwind
Summary: Life needs things to live:But I don’t understand why she’s been so comfortable around me from the beginning when she can barely stand to be around Tary.Instead of a text back, Percy saw Pike’s face appear on his phone. “Yes?” he asked after a swipe of his thumb across the screen.-A text conversation turns into a call.





	Sometimes a Pompous Ass

**Author's Note:**

> This fic lives within the College AU No One Asked For, and I have a lot of world building headcanons for it, including something referenced in this fic: JB suffered abuse (primarily emotional) at the hands of her parents. She was removed from her parents' home around the age of 12-13 and placed with Wilhand who had acquired Pike in a similar fashion when Pike as 6. Pike and JB are the same age. The abuse is referenced in extremely vague terms in this mini fic.
> 
> The prompt that spawned this fic was 'Percy - D: subtle kindness' and it is kind of up in the air on whether or not this actually fits the prompt. Either way, this is what happened and the prompt list can be found [over here.](http://roxashighwind.tumblr.com/post/162171185288/send-me-characters-and-a-letter-and-ill-write)

It took him far too long to realize what Grog and Pike’s shared looks with the twins meant when JB made jokes about his glasses being silly, or when she took a moment to remind him of that terrible sleep deprived mid-morning during their first year of college when he’d infamously said that “life needs things to live,” or any number of things she gently poked fun at him for. 

It was likely that he was the last to know about her childhood, the last to connect the dots between how she was treated by her family to her sometimes skittish demeanor in groups. 

**Life needs things to live:** About JB.

**Life needs things to live:** Why didn’t you tell me that she’d been…

**Grace:** Abused?

**Grace:** Percy, it wasn’t my place. It’s her story, not mine.

**Life needs things to live:** Fair

**Life needs things to live:** But I don’t understand why she’s been so comfortable around me from the beginning when she can barely stand to be around Tary.

Instead of a text back, Percy saw Pike’s face appear on his phone. “Yes?” he asked after a swipe of his thumb across the screen.

“You’re kind. And sweet. And for all that you are sometimes a pompous ass, you’ve never directed that at her.” He could hear Pike sigh across the line. “Percy. You’re like the king of small kindnesses without ever meaning to be.”

His eyebrows drew together, and he knew if Pike was there with him she would be poking at his forehead until he relaxed. “Because I treat people like people?”

“Exactly. It’s still not my place to tell you what happened, but JB takes a while to trust that people won’t hurt her or use her for their own gain, even all this time later.”

“That’s awful.”

“It is.” Pike’s voice hardened when she continued. “But it doesn’t mean that you should treat her any differently than you have been.” 

Percy blinked. “Of course not. I’m just worried that my present for her might be seen as too much in one way or another.”

“Percy…”

“In my defense, her computer dropped her from game a half dozen times in the last two days alone and she’s been lagging something awef-” 

“Percy!”

“So much for subtle niceties, I suppose, because I’m not returning it.”

He could hear her grin even as she attempted to keep her voice in the vicinity of a scold. “Oh my gods, Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. You are ridiculous and I love you more each time I realize just how ridiculous you really are.”

His cheeks hurt with how widely he smiled at that. Softly he replied, “I love you, too, Pike. You should be studying.”

She blew a raspberry into the phone and disconnected.

**Grace:** <3


End file.
